1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to bodies for motor vehicles and, more specifically, to a rear body assembly for a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to provide a rear body for a motor vehicle. Typically, the rear body includes a floorpan, rails, body panels, a rear suspension system, and a fuel system. On some motor vehicles, the rear body may include a spare tire and door track for a sliding door. Most motor vehicles typically include a rear bumper system at a rear end of the rear body. During an impact on a rear of the motor vehicle, the rear bumper system and the rails, floorpan and body panels of the rear body are the main energy absorbing components.
During the initial stages of an impact on the rear of the motor vehicle (e.g., forty milliseconds), up to one-quarter of the energy of the impact is absorbed by the rear bumper system. The remaining energy is absorbed by the rear body. The main energy absorbing components of the rear body absorb approximately half of the energy of the impact. Although these main energy absorbing components have worked well, there is a need in the art to make these components more energy absorbing.